Time Off
by HR always live on
Summary: Harry starts to worry when Ruth requests some time off. When was the last time she took a day off?  Not sure where this will end up, bound to have some fluff at the end though.
1. Chapter 1

_Someone should have warned me that writing Harry and Ruth fan fiction is very addictive! Hope you enjoy._

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Ruth was tapping her pen irritatingly against her desk, trying to work up the nerve to go into Harry's office. It didn't usually take her long, after all she barged into his office everyday like clockwork. The only one who could get away with barging in too. Which had been made painfully clear the week before when Dimitri had tried it after Beth had dared him to.

Harry's shouting had been heard by everyone, even Tariq who had been experimenting in the forgery suite with something technical and complicated and emerged looking confused at Harry's raised voice. It had been even more funny for everyone when Ruth didn't bother knocking about half an hour later and they saw Harry smiling at her through the glass of his office. Ruth had emerged and found Beth, Dimitri, Alec and Tariq trying not to laugh at her.

"What?" she asked in an innocent voice, not understanding their reaction.

"Nothing," Beth said firmly, trying to make the boys shut up before they embarrassed Ruth. Back in the present, Ruth threw her pen on the desk and walked into Harry's office slowly. She knew this was not going to be a pleasant conversation.

"Hi," she said quietly as Harry put the phone down and turned to her. A charged silence fell as Ruth sat down.

"Anything… I can do?" Harry asked after an entire minute filled with nothing but meaningful glances.

"I… I need a few days off," Ruth said quietly. "I know I'm meant to clear it at least three weeks before I leave but… something's come up and I'd really appreciate it if you could speed up the process for me."

"Oh," Harry said surprised wondering how he'd cope without Ruth on the grid for a few days. Getting the time off for her wasn't a problem. The problem was he would have to manage without her. "Yeah, I'll clear it for you. I hope everything is okay?" The hint of a question in his voice was clear. He was concerned, she could see that but she didn't know what to tell him.

"I'm fine," Ruth said surely and honestly. "Um… one of my friends from university called. He's had some bad news and he's not in a good way. I just… I need to go and see him."

Harry swallowed, trying to ignore the pain that went through his heart when Ruth mentioned "him." And the jealousy.

"Of course," Harry said trying to hide his irritation. "Take all the time you need."

"Thank you Harry," she said sincerely. She reached across his desk and grasped his hand tightly. "Thank you," she repeated.

"You're welcome," he said quietly. "When will you leave?"

"Tomorrow," Ruth said quietly. "If that's okay? I'll stay late tonight and make sure everything is finished properly."

"I'll sort out your leave for you. Don't worry about it." Ruth nodded gratefully and reluctantly withdrew her hand from Harry's, feeling that to keep it there was crossing the unspoken boundary between them.

"I should get back to work then," Ruth said, leaving Harry with a small smile on her face. Harry watched her through the glass of his office, trying to hold onto the feeling of her hand on his. He sighed as he watched her begin typing on her computer. How on earth was he going to cope on a Ruth less grid?

* * *

"Right, the latest terror threats are listed in here according to their importance," Ruth told Beth, handing over a thick file. "The Israeli delegation are on their flight out of the UK and should leave British air space within the next thirty minutes so they shouldn't give you anymore problems."

"Ruth, stop worrying and calm down," Beth said. "We won't fall apart when you leave the building." Beth's gaze fixed on Harry's office. She wondered if she dared to mention that Harry would miss her terribly. Then she decided that she didn't dare.

"Okay," Ruth said shutting her computer down. "I hate letting people down, that's all."

"You're not letting anyone down," Beth said. "Not even Harry."

"Mm," Ruth said, biting her lip, very unconvinced. "Anyway, I have to go now. I'll see you soon."

"Yes," Beth replied, flicking through the file Ruth had given her. "Be sure you say goodbye to him before you go."

"I don't need you to tell me that," Ruth said sharply. Beth said nothing more and hid behind her computer screen. Ruth walked into Harry's office and waited for him to put the phone down before speaking.

"I'm off now," she said in a quiet voice.

"Okay," Harry replied in a slow and sensual voice that seemed to make her heart pound faster.

"I'll be back before you know it," Ruth said, wanting to break the charged silence that had fallen over them.

"Yes," Harry replied, thoroughly unconvinced. "Well, I hope you have a safe trip. Where are you going?"

"Exeter," Ruth said firmly. "I'm going to catch an early train tomorrow morning."

"Okay," Harry said. He paused and then let his self control go and decided to take a chance. "Will you call me? Just so I know that you're okay."

"Of course I will," she replied almost instantly, feeling her heart race when she realised that he worried about her. Still, even after everything they had been through. "Don't let the grid blow up in my absence will you?" A hint of teasing in her voice.

"We'll all be waiting for you. I'll be waiting for you." Ruth swallowed, feeling the situation start to spin away from her and out of control. But try as she might, she couldn't tear her eyes away from his. All of a sudden he seemed much closer to her. He swiftly put his hand on her cheek before she realised it, his fingertips caressing her skin softly.

"Come back soon," Harry said, a notch above a whisper.

"I will," she replied as slowly as she could, wanting to keep his hand on her face as long as possible. All too soon his touch vanished and Ruth felt empty.

"Bye Harry," she said and quickly left his office. He watched as she picked up her coat and waved goodbye to Beth. Her eyes locked on to Harry's one last time and she left the grid as the pods swished shut after her.

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_I'm not entirely sure where this is going. I have a vague plan but I never seem to stick to my plans! I'd love a review. xxx_


	2. Chapter 2

_Here's the second chapter. Not too sure if I like this but thought I'd post it anyway._

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Ruth's eyes were focused on the countryside zooming past the train window as she headed further and further away from London. Everyday for the past two years she had been working with Harry. In the same space he was simply impossible for her to ignore. What she hadn't expected was how much her mind rested on him, even when she was miles away from London. She turned her attention to watching the other people in the carriage. The thought came into her head and a small smile came onto her face. _People watching without a surveillance team…_ Ruth let herself drift away on her daydreams. At least for the next hour until she got to Exeter.

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Harry looked at his watch impatiently. It was eleven in the morning. He had only gone a few hours without Ruth's presence on the grid and already his world seemed bleak. He knew it was only temporary but at that moment in time it didn't really help. There was a knock on his door and he sighed, fervently wishing that it was the only someone who didn't bother to knock.

"Come in," he said in a firm voice. The door opened and Tariq appeared there. He started speaking his techno speak and Harry had to focus particularly hard on what he was talking about. Eventually he left Harry's office and he sighed. He had been debating with himself about the next move. If Ruth knew what he was doing, she wouldn't be pleased. He turned to his computer and typed a sequence of keys. When he pressed enter, a map of Exeter came up on his screen, focusing in on a single red dot. He had traced Ruth's mobile, simply because he wanted to know where she was. Harry spent a long time that day watching the screen. As if watching that would bring her closer to him.

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Ruth rung the doorbell of the flat where her friend lived. It took a minute or so for the door to open. A man of forty or so was revealed. He had bloodshot eyes and looked like he hadn't slept in days.

"Hi Chris," Ruth said with sympathy in her voice.

"Ruth," he muttered, moving aside to let her into his house. She followed him into his kitchen and watched as he silently poured himself some whisky, feeling a lump in her throat at the reminder of Harry.

"When's the last time you slept?" Ruth asked as he faced her.

"Sleep is overrated," he said in a hoarse voice taking a sip of his drink. Ruth looked at him with her blue eyes full of pity.

"You need to pull yourself together," Ruth said in a calm voice. "It's her funeral tomorrow."

"You think I don't know that?" he asked with suppressed anger. "Of course I know that. And this drink is all that's keeping me standing."

Ruth walked closer to him and put a hand on his back lightly. "I can't begin to imagine what you're going through. Losing your wife in a car crash… It's awful. It's horrific. But your daughter needs you too. Claire needs you to manage through the day without getting drunk. Because she has already lost her mother. She needs you. And she needs you sober."

She looked at him and could see the tears start to fall. He half crumpled towards her and she hugged him as the crying started into her shoulder. Ruth knew he needed comfort from anyone, she just happened to be the person there. An indeterminable amount of time later he straightened up as he heard a noise behind him. Ruth looked and saw a blonde little angel staring at her father.

"Hi sweetheart," Chris said to his five year old daughter. "This is Ruth," he said pointing to her. "She's an old friend of mine."

"Less of the old," Ruth said quietly, making a ghost of a smile appear on Chris's face. She could tell it was the first smile he had worn since his wife's death.

"Hello," Claire said in a small voice, waving her hand at Ruth. Ruth smiled.

"Hi. Do you want to play with me while you're daddy gets himself cleaned up?" Ruth asked. Claire seemed to consider it for a moment and then nodded happily. She held fast to Ruth's hand and dragged her through to the living room. Ruth looked back at Chris with a steel glint in her eye. Chris nodded and left the kitchen to try and look slightly more respectable.

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Harry had checked out the address which Ruth's mobile had stayed at for several hours. It belonged to Christopher Green. It didn't take Harry long to find out all there was to know about him. A part of him knew he was betraying Ruth, because she had chosen not to tell him what had happened. But that only deterred him for a few minutes before he searched the MI5 database.

Christopher Green, married to a Jessica Green, formerly Jessica Owens. Christopher works as an accountant in Exeter and has done for nearly ten years. The couple have a five year old daughter, Claire Louise and seem to be the picture of a happy family. The only thing he could find at all was that Chris had spent a night in prison during his college days (he had indeed gone to Oxford with Ruth). He had been drunk and was involved in a brawl. Hardly terrorist links, he thought wryly. And then he found it. A recently archived newspaper article came up with links to Christopher Green and his family. Jessica Green had been in a fatal car crash at the end of the week before. A lorry driver had fallen asleep at the wheel. It had smashed headlong into her car and she had died on impact.

Harry sighed, feeling it all click into place. This was why Ruth had had to go so quickly. She had a funeral to go to. And one of her college friends must be in pieces with the death of his wife. Ruth had an incredible amount of emotion in her, when she didn't lock it away. When she chose to let it show. She just didn't choose it very often. Harry knew why she had travelled to Exeter so quickly. She needed to support her friend. He could understand that, even if it did cause a small stab of jealousy in his heart and was glad he had been nosey. He still missed her on the grid but at least he now knew what she was doing.

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_More soon (ish)._


	3. Chapter 3

Ruth was sat on the sofa thinking to herself. She was considering calling Harry when Claire poked her head around the door frame.

"Can you plait my hair?" she asked in a quiet voice. "Mummy used to do it but she's not here at the moment."

"Of course I can," Ruth said. The little girl sat in front of her and Ruth ran her fingers through the girls long blonde hair, fanning it out.

"Do you know what happened to your mum?" Ruth asked carefully, her hands starting to work on Claire's hair.

"Daddy said she's gone away. For a long time. She's gone somewhere… Daddy said she's gone to heaven and I won't see her again." Ruth swallowed at hearing the innocence in this little girls voice. She stayed silent until she tied her hair up.

"Thank you," Claire said before bouncing off.

"She doesn't understand," Chris said sitting next to her on the sofa. He had been watching them from the door. "She doesn't know what the word dead means. How do I explain that to a five year old? How do I explain that to her when I can barely understand it myself?"

"I'm so sorry," Ruth said.

"I've heard that word so much its lost all meaning to me," Chris said turning to face her.

"There's nothing I can say to you to make any of this easier," Ruth said. "Loss… it's a permanent ache in your heart which never really goes away. I know that better than you could imagine." Ruth swallowed and closed her eyes for a moment as she saw the faces of all the friends she had lost over the years. Danny, Fiona, Zaf, Adam, Jo, Ros. Even though she had learnt about Zaf and Adam's death long after the fact, she still felt their loss.

"You've lost someone," Chris said plainly.

"Yes," Ruth replied shortly, not wanting to dwell on it. Silence fell between them and Ruth thought of something. "I have to make a call," she said getting up.

"Okay," Chris said. "Who's the lucky guy?" he added with a hint of a smile. Ruth felt glad that he was even able to attempt a smile.

"Mind your own business," Ruth said pulling her mobile out of her handbag and taking it out in the hall. She hit speed dial and rang through to Harry's office. She had considered for a moment to call his mobile but at this time of day she imagined he'd be on the grid. She wasn't disappointed.

"Hello," Harry's voice said.

"Its me," Ruth said quietly, wondering how it was possible for her heart to speed up and her face to flush when Harry had only spoken two syllables to her. "I was just calling like I said I would." She spoke slowly, drawing each word out so she could stay on the line to Harry for as long as possible.

"Its good to hear from you," Harry said.

"The building hasn't fallen apart in my absence then?" Ruth asked.

"No, we seem to be managing," Harry said. She could hear that he was smiling and knew he would have a twinkle in his brown eyes.

"World war three hasn't broken out?"

"No," Harry said calmly.

"Good," Ruth said. "I'm glad I didn't leave you with a problem."

Harry neglected to say that he always had a problem when she wasn't there. "We're managing," he repeated. He suddenly realised she wasn't listening at all. He strained his ears and smiled as he heard the conversation she was having with someone else.

Ruth's skirt had been pulled by Claire who didn't like being ignored. Ruth bent down and looked at the little girl.

"Daddy's on the computer," Claire said with a small whine in her voice. "Play with me." She had such a sweet face and innocent blue eyes that Ruth couldn't bring herself to say no.

"I have to finish this phone call," Ruth said. "But once I have, I promise I will play with you. Anything you want."

"Promise?" Claire asked with her head tilted to one side, seeming to wonder whether she was serious or not.

"I promise," Ruth said, nodding her head to make sure she believed her.

"Okay," Claire said leaving Ruth on her own.

"Sorry about that Harry," Ruth said turning her attention back to the phone. "I just wanted to call."

"I'm glad you did," Harry said. His office door suddenly had a very loud knock which even Ruth heard on the other end of the phone. "I have to go, Ruth."

"Okay. I'll leave you to catching your terrorists," Ruth said with a smile. "Bye Harry." She disconnected the call to find Claire tugging at her skirt again. Ruth smiled at the little girl and looked forward to an afternoon of playing games with a five year old girl.

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When Harry was finally left on his own his mind went back to the way Ruth had spoken to the little girl. Her voice had changed completely when talking to the child. It had taken on a much softer quality than he had ever heard in her before. He started to wonder just how much he didn't know about her. After all, he had only ever seen her at work. How much of her private life was hidden to him? She had never even mentioned this Chris to him before. Maybe he had worked their relationship up into more than it was in reality. Maybe that was why she had said no to his ill timed marriage proposal.

He sighed and ran a hand over his face in agitation. He considered calling her briefly but threw the thought out of his mind almost immediately. Before he went home he poured himself a generous shot of whiskey and downed it in one.

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_More in the works. I would love a review if you have the time xxx._


	4. Chapter 4

Ruth woke up early in the morning to Claire staring at her face.

"Oh God!" Ruth said sitting up in bed quickly. She had planned to check into a hotel but eventually she had ended up sleeping in the spare room, thinking it was probably best that Claire had someone around who wasn't trying to drown themselves in the bottom of a whiskey bottle.

"I didn't mean to scare you," Claire said with wide eyes, as if she was afraid.

"That's okay," Ruth said trying to get her breathing back to normal. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," the girl said quietly. "I can't wake daddy up."

"Okay," Ruth said swinging her legs out of bed. Claire held tightly to Ruth's hand as they walked to Chris's bedroom. The girl seemed quite taken with Ruth which pleased her no end.

"Get up," Ruth said loudly to the pile in the middle of the bed. It moved slightly but nothing else. Claire giggled as her father grunted in her sleep.

"Claire, why don't you go to your room and your daddy will come and get you when he's awake? I promise he'll be in to see you soon." She nodded and skipped happily off. Ruth turned to Chris and sighed.

"Get out of bed now," Ruth said in a harsh voice. He moaned and turned over. "I mean it," she continued. "Today is a really important day and you have a beautiful five year old daughter who needs you. I realise she is the spitting image of her mother but she still needs you."

"I know," he said in a sleepy voice sitting up. "I'm moving."

"Did you get drunk last night?" Ruth asked bluntly.

"I had one drink and then I poured the rest down the sink," he said rubbing his eyes lightly. "Because I know you're right. Claire needs me."

"Yes she does," Ruth replied firmly. "So you are going to get up, eat some breakfast, then put on your black suit and go to the church. Okay?"

"Yes," he agreed. "I'm getting up." Ruth nodded and left him to it.

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Harry had drunk far too much the night before to be in any sort of working order, but he had turned up on the grid anyway, with the addition of a thumping headache. The morning went by slowly. No bomb alerts, no new terror threats. An almost boring day, for which he was grateful.

Grateful, because he spent the morning thinking about Ruth. Reliving everything that had ever happened between them. After an hour or so he checked to make sure everyone on the grid was busy working and unlocked his bottom desk drawer. He removed a crumpled and dog eared photo of Ruth, one which he had kept for years. It had been taken when her transfer to section D had been confirmed. Harry had kept the photo, even throughout her exile, because he loved to look at her. She seemed much happier back then, he thought with sadness. He couldn't even remember the last time she had smiled. Not a true smile.

The morning had turned into afternoon without him noticing, still staring at Ruth's face. Suddenly a knock on his door drew him out of his reverie. He hid the photo in his desk drawer quickly and Dimitri appeared at the door.

"We have a major problem." Harry sighed, getting ready to hear the worst.

* * *

The funeral had gone well (for a funeral). It had been quite a full church. Clearly Jessica had been popular. Ruth hadn't known her very well, she was here for Chris. It was clear that Claire didn't really understand what was going on. She couldn't understand how her mother could suddenly be in that coffin when last week she was giving her kisses in the morning. Not that Ruth could blame the girl. It didn't really seem to get easier to understand when you had seen as many funerals as Ruth had.

The wake had been at a local pub but Chris couldn't face it. Claire had been dancing around, unaware that she was supposed to be sad. Her grandparents had said they would look after her and Ruth had gone with Chris back to his house.

"You did well," she said, squeezing his hand lightly before putting the kettle on.

"Thank you for coming down from London," he said when they both had mugs of tea warming their hands. "I know you're busy."

"Hmm," Ruth agreed, not wanting to get into it. She couldn't confide in him about her job even if she had wanted to. They fell into a silence which Chris broke after a moment.

"So who is he?" Chris asked.

"Who's who?" Ruth replied, trying to keep her voice level.

"I need to do something that's not thinking about the love of my life buried six feet under the ground," he said calmly. "So tell me, who is the man who keeps making you go quiet and get that faraway look in your eye."

"You always did know me far too well," she said smiling into her tea.

"And that doesn't answer my question," he said.

"He's my boss," Ruth said briefly, unable to fight the blush.

"Oh God, that looks serious," he said watching her.

"I'm here to support you at your wife's funeral," Ruth said trying to change the subject. "We're not here to talk about…" she tailed off, unable to find an accurate word to describe Harry.

"I'm going to have to live with her death every day of my life," Chris replied seriously. "Let me in on your life before you vanish again into the smoke of the big city."

"Its… very complicated," she said slowly.

"No Ruth, its not," he replied. She was about to argue with him when he carried on. "That's what I said when I met Jessica. It's how I justified it to myself when I didn't ask her out until more than a year after I first met her. I'll tell you, if I could have that year back now, I'd jump at the chance. Life is too short. It's too damn short. After all, what's the worst that can happen?"

Ruth sat in silence, absorbing his words, considering the truth of what he had just said.

"He asked me to marry him, a few months ago," Ruth said quietly. She had only told one other person about Harry's proposal. And thinking about Lucas North was not her happiest subject in the world.

"Then why didn't you say yes?"

"Because it was so out of the blue. It was probably one of the least expected marriage proposals in history. At the time I could think of a hundred reasons to say no." Ruth had spent a lot of her limited free time thinking about her reasons for turning him down. And it had been going around in her head constantly for weeks.

"Just take the plunge," Chris said, bringing her out of her very confusing thoughts and feelings. "Wasting time is one of the most pointless things on the planet. Trust me. I'm not wrong."

"I came to help you, not the other way around," Ruth said trying to stop thinking of Harry.

"I'll be fine," he said, not really convincing her.

"I can stay another day if you want," Ruth said.

"No," he said in a low voice after a moments pause. "I have a feeling that my parents aren't going to leave me alone for the very near future. We'll both be fine. Not that it isn't good to see you. It is. But there's a train with your name on it. Go home."

"Are you sure?" Ruth asked

"Yes," he said with a finality in his tone that she wasn't going to argue with.

"Please call me if you need me," Ruth said sincerely. "I'm only a three hour train journey away."

"I know," he said. "And I know you mean well." Ruth looked at her oldest friend with sadness in her eyes. She got up and gave him a hug. It really had been far too long since she had seen him.

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_More soon. I would really appreciate a review! xxx_


	5. Chapter 5

Ruth was on the train, speeding back to London when her phone buzzed. She got it out and looked at an email alert that came through.

"Oh no," she said as a newsflash from the BBC website popped up. "Oh no no no no," she murmured calling through to Harry immediately.

"What?" Harry said, clearly irritated.

"I've just heard," Ruth said. "Is it bad?"

"Oh, hi Ruth," he said sighing. "Sorry, it's a bad day."

"I know," Ruth said. She glanced around the train and was pleased to see that everyone was out of earshot. "So, the Home Secretary's been shot?"

"Yes," he said in a tense voice.

"I just heard that he's in hospital, do you know any more?" Ruth asked, trying to keep her voice level.

"He isn't going to make it," Harry said quietly. "He's in emergency surgery but it'll be a miracle if he survives."

"Look, I'm on my way back to London now," Ruth said. "I'll be there soon."

"You don't have to come back just because…"

"I was on my way anyway," Ruth said cutting him off. "I'm already on the train. And I want to see you," she added in a whisper.

"Sorry?" Harry asked wondering if he'd misheard her. Either that or slipped into a dream.

"I want to see you," she repeated in a normal tone of voice, her face blushing furiously, glad he couldn't see her.

"Oh," he said, unable to think of anything else to say to her over the phone. He wondered if it would be easier or more difficult if he could see her. Then he shook himself out of his thoughts, reminding himself that he had to catch the assassin who had shot the Home Secretary. "Well, I need to get back to work. And I want to see you too."

"Okay, bye Harry," she said putting her phone back in her bag. She took a deep breath wanting the distance to London to quickly evaporate.

* * *

Ruth walked onto the grid, comforted by the familiar sound of the pods opening. She took a glance around and saw Beth and Dimitri hard at work at their individual computer stations. Tariq was typing even faster than usual and her glance was thrown to Harry's office as usual. His eyes were on her as if magnetised, even now, when he was on the phone. She walked over to her desk only tearing her eyes away from Harry when she nearly walked into Beth's desk.

"Are you okay?" Beth asked.

"Yes," Ruth said sitting down and beginning to load her computer up. She hadn't been there that long when Harry came out of his office and approached them all.

"I have news. Hasan Yakarta has been arrested," Harry said. Beth and Dimitri sighed simultaneously.

"That's the assassin," Dimitri said to Ruth.

"I guessed that," she replied dryly. "How is the Home Secretary?" Ruth asked Harry.

"He died half an hour ago," he said with a sad look on his face.

"Oh," Ruth said sadly. She hadn't much like Towers but she hadn't wanted him to be shot dead either. As soon as he had announced that Beth picked up her purse and said goodbye to everyone. She didn't seem to want to stay on the grid for longer than strictly necessary. It took maybe five minutes for everyone to leave, everyone except for Harry and Ruth.

"So all you needed to arrest the culprit was simply my presence?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Seems like it," he said grabbing Beth's chair and sitting next to her. "How was the funeral?"

"It was… wait. How do you know about that?" Ruth asked feeling her heart pound faster. She knew she had never told him about Chris, let alone his wife's funeral. Harry swallowed, knowing that he had put his foot in it.

"Uh…"

"You checked up on me," Ruth said slowly. "You spied on me? What, you don't think I'm capable to manage outside of London without your help? You don't trust me?"

"Ruth…"

"No, don't you "Ruth" me," she said well and truly annoyed. "What were you thinking? Just because I work for you, you think you can have control over my personal life?"

"It wasn't like that Ruth…" he started but was cut off again.

"I'm going home. Do you think you're capable to allow me to do that without using the MI5 database to follow me there?" Ruth didn't wait for an answer and walked as fast as she could to the pods without actually running. Harry watched her go feeling stupid and like an incredible idiot. When the grid was empty he stared at Ruth's desk feeling a horrible sense of loss.

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_I have written the next part but I'm not sure I like it so it might be a while before I post it. Reviews are always loved and big thanks to everyone who has already reviewed! _


	6. Chapter 6

_So I told a massive lie and am updating later the same day. I'm a little nervous about this chapter so let me know what you think. Thanks for the great reviews everyone!_

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Ruth was at home drinking a glass of wine and mulling over what had happened with Harry. She was still mad but wondered if she might have overreacted, just a little. She didn't get much further in her thoughts because her phone rang. Picking it up without thinking, she hated how pleased she immediately felt when she recognised Harry's voice.

"Its me," he said quietly. "Don't hang up."

"Fine," she said in a cold voice. "I won't."

"I just want you to talk to me," Harry said.

"I don't think I can speak louder than I already did," Ruth said trying to keep calm. Her doorbell rang and she sighed. "Look, Harry, there's someone at the door so I'm going to go. I'll talk to you at work tomorrow."

"Okay," he said. "Bye Ruth." She put the phone down and answered the door quickly. She was surprised to see Harry there and he put his foot in the door before she could close it.

"I want to talk to you," he said calmly. Ruth turned away from him without a word and went back into her kitchen, knowing he would be following her. She took a deep breath, sat down and topped up her wine glass. She had a feeling she was going to need it.

"I'm not going to say I'm sorry for checking out where you were going and who you were meeting because I'm not," he said.

"That's the start of a great apology," she said sarcastically taking a sip of wine.

"Would you just be quiet and listen to me," he said in a tone that took no arguments, standing dangerously close to her. "I'm not sorry for that because I just wanted to make sure you were safe. I worry about you. I worry about you more than you could ever know. I _am_ sorry that you think I don't trust you or respect you because that is simply not true. I would hate for you to think that, because you're probably the one person I respect most in the world."

Ruth took a large sip of wine, trying to take in his words. His wonderfully romantic words which, had they been said by anyone else would have had no affect on her at all. His words that were accompanied by his gorgeous hazel eyes made her heart race. When she spoke she was able to keep her voice calm and level. "I managed to start a new life in a foreign country from nothing. I had to do it without any help from anyone, even you. I don't need you to make sure I'm safe."

"I know you are perfectly capable to do anything on your own," Harry said quickly "I didn't do it for you. I did it for me. I wanted to know what you were doing and yes, maybe that makes me overprotective or overbearing or a hundred other things that aren't very flattering. But I don't care. As long as you are safe."

"I may have overreacted slightly," she said quietly, knowing that his reaction had come from concern about her rather than anything else.

"No you didn't," he said. "If I found you checking up on me I wouldn't be happy either."

Ruth sighed and put her glass down on the kitchen table firmly. "I can't do this. I can't tread that invisible and almost tangible line in our relationship anymore. I'm in love with you, Harry. I'm just going to say that so you can decide what to do. If you only want us to work together, then fine. But if, by some chance you want more just tell me. Because I can't take anymore awkward and uncomfortable moments between us. On the grid or anywhere else." She had been working up the nerve to say something to him for the entire train journey knowing that things simply couldn't go on the way they had been over the past few months.

Harry didn't say a word to her. He watched her and moved to catch her lips with his. He let her go, out of the kiss and whispered into her ear. "Of course I want more. I want everything with you." He looked into her eyes deeply for almost a minute and then kissed her again, a much more intense kiss.

Ruth found herself standing up so she could get closer to him, her hands sliding under his jacket. He kissed her so passionately, in a way that made her feel like she had never been kissed before. Ruth's hands seemed to have a life of their own and before she knew it, she had taken Harry's jacket off and thrown it on the floor. He broke apart from her for a second and Ruth found herself breathing heavily. Harry looked into her eyes, which were a darker blue than normal, sparkling with desire.

"Why did you stop?" she asked, the alcohol she'd drunk making her more forward than she normally would be. He stepped closer to her and held her face with both hands tenderly. His thumbs traced her face softly, never stopping moving.

"I stopped because I have been waiting for this for far too long," Harry said in a husky voice, his breath whispering against her skin. "So I am planning to take my time." Ruth felt herself quiver inside with the way he spoke those words. He leant in towards her agonisingly slowly and kissed her softly, pulling her in closer with a hand on her hair. She felt his hands touch her bare skin at the neck of her blouse causing her blood to thunder around her body. Then she felt him start to undo her buttons painfully slowly, touching every inch of her pale skin as it was revealed by the parting fabric. She pulled away from him and put a hand on his chest to stop him. Temporarily.

"I think maybe we should take this upstairs," Ruth said breathlessly, her face flushed. Harry couldn't believe what she was saying. But he most certainly wasn't going to argue with her.

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_What do you think? Should this be the end or not?_


	7. Chapter 7

_If you want, you can consider the last chapter the end. This one is probably a bit out of character but its fluffy fun which I couldn__'t resist writing. Hope you enjoy reading it too._

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Ruth could feel sleep falling away from her but she held onto it fiercely. She pulled the duvet closer to her, wanting to slip into her dreams again. Her Harry filled dreams. She felt a hand on her back and smiled. Opening her eyes she looked into Harry's face with happiness.

"It wasn't a dream?" she said quietly.

"No," he said brushing his fingers through her hair lightly. "Was last night good enough for a dream then?" Ruth watched him smiling and she felt happier than she could remember being in a long time.

"You know I can't quite recall," she teased him. "Couldn't have been that mind blowing or I'm sure I'd remember."

"Oh really?" Harry said raising an eyebrow. "You moaning and panting my name repetitively all night long might argue that point."

"Mm," Ruth agreed, blushing a vivid red at the seductive tone in his voice that she couldn't possibly resist. Harry kissed her neck lightly.

"Maybe you just need a reminder," he murmured against her skin.

"That sounds… like an excellent idea," Ruth said slowly before all logic flew out of her brain.

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Ruth had managed to fall asleep again but woke up when her phone rang. She reached across to her bedside table blindly and picked it up without opening her eyes.

"Hello?" she said sleepily.

"Ruth, where are you?" Beth asked sounding incredibly worried.

"I'm at home. Why?" Ruth asked sitting up and seeing Harry stir in his sleep next to her.

"Its half past nine in the morning and you're not on the grid," Beth said. "I was just making sure that you're okay."

"I'm fine," Ruth said. "You just interrupted a very good dream though. I must have overslept that's all. I forgot to set my alarm. I'll be in as soon as I'm dressed."

"Okay," Beth said.

"Anything else?" Ruth asked as Beth fell into an uncomfortable silence.

"We can't find Harry either," Beth said. "He's not here, he isn't picking up his home phone or his mobile. I know there's… a thing between you two and whatever, but I am really starting to worry and just want to make sure he's okay and nothing terrible has happened."

"Yeah, I don't think you need to worry about Harry," she said, not sure how to stop Beth worrying without telling her what had happened the night before. And she wanted to keep that to herself for as long as possible.

"Oh," Beth said. "Um… is there something you're not telling me?"

"No," Ruth lied.

"Okay, well I'll see you and Harry soon," Beth said. "And I promise to keep my mouth shut."

"About what?" Ruth said with her heart beating fast.

"You and Harry," Beth said simply. "I'm not stupid. Oh, and there's no desperately urgent terrorist threats here so you can take your time."

"Thank you," Ruth said sincerely, putting the phone down and staring at Harry.

"Everything okay?" he asked with a hint of worry over his face.

"We're late," she said simply. Harry looked past her to her digital clock seeing it flash 9:33.

"I haven't slept like that in years," he said honestly, making a move to get out of bed. Ruth reached for his hand.

"Beth says there's nothing urgent on the grid," Ruth said, not letting go. "Stay in bed for another five minutes."

"Five minutes," he agreed. Ruth snuggled into his shoulder and let his arms wrap themselves around her. "I'm sorry," he said.

"For what?" Ruth asked, feeling the tension in his body.

"For finding out what you were doing when you were in Exeter. It wasn't any of my business." Ruth wriggled in the bed so she could face him.

"Were you jealous?" Ruth asked carefully, knowing she was on a sensitive subject.

"Yes," he said simply. "If you want to spend time with someone outside of work, I'd rather it be me." Ruth didn't bother saying anything in response and settled for kissing his chest instead.

"How are we going to do this?" Ruth asked quietly when silence had spread out between them. Harry raised an eyebrow and she carried on. "How are we going to deal with us? I mean at work, what if it makes everything awkward on the grid? What do we tell people?"

"Slow down," Harry said stroking her hair soothingly. "If everyone else finds it awkward, then that's their problem. I refuse to let what they think affect the way I feel about you. Just let everything pan out. I think they'll catch on when we both turn up late and at the same time anyway. They're spooks after all. No one will notice anything different in the way I look at you because I always keep a close eye on you when you're on the grid."

"I had noticed," Ruth said lightly.

"Mm," Harry agreed. "The only difference is that I now know what you look like without any of your clothes on." This caused Ruth to blush vividly. She decided this was probably a good point in the conversation to get out of bed otherwise they would be at least another hour before they got to Thames House. "And now you're getting dressed in front of me," Harry said. "Tell me, how am I meant to concentrate on catching terrorists when all I'll be able to think about is what colour underwear you're wearing?"

"If you don't shut up, my face is going to be red all day," Ruth said buttoning up her blouse quickly, trying to force her blush to fade away.

"Okay," Harry said following her lead and getting dressed. Shortly they were both looking respectable again. Or mostly. Ruth smiled as she noticed that his tie wasn't straight.

"Come here," she said and reached over to adjust it. Her hands lingered on his chest for a moment. "We should go," she added. He nodded but they didn't leave until after they had shared a long and passionate kiss.

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_Thanks for all the lovely reviews. They mean the world to me._


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